1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a boom support system and more specifically to telescopic booms such as those used on various hoisting equipment, such as cranes or the like, mine scaling equipment and other equipment utilizing telescopic booms. The boom support system includes a plurality of longitudinally extending support rails spaced circumferentially of the telescopic boom components with radially adjustable slides on the telescopic components engaged with the rails for guiding and supporting the telescopic components during their telescopic movement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telescopic booms are conventionally employed on various types of equipment with the telescopic components of the boom being extended and retracted by forces applied by hydraulic cylinder assemblies or cable mechanisms. The telescopic components of the booms in their collapsed or completely telescoped position are substantially nested with the telescopic components being extended longitudinally outwardly in multiple stages to provide a desired boom length generally referred to as a range of reach. The extendable and retractable telescopic boom components are supported in various manners with one arrangement including the use of the hydraulic cylinder as the load bearing boom in which the telescopic stages are supported by internal bushings. Usually, the boom components are formed by a structural framework which is usually square or rectangular in design which requires the steel structures to slide against each other with flat steel or brass supports being provided to reduce friction between the telescopic components and in other arrangements, rollers have been used to further reduce friction in situations where rollers can support the loads to be handled by the boom. The following U.S. patents disclose various developments in the field of telescopic booms.
3,648,850 PA0 3,674,157 PA0 3,830,376 PA0 3,931,698 PA0 4,004,695
While the above patents disclose various types of telescopic booms, they do not disclose the specific structure of the guide and supporting rails and slide arrangement including the specific bracket and adjustment structure incorporated into this invention which provides a reliable, long life in which the boom components cannot rotate about a longitudinal axis with the structure especially adapted for use in mine scaling operations since the structural arrangements of the present invention do not require lubrication even though used in a relatively high abrasion environment.